GeNEXT: Puppets & Puppeteers
by ZeldaAddict42
Summary: A mysterious new foe has appeared and begun kidnapping various X-men. Can GeNEXT figure out what is going on?
1. Part 1 The Collector

So, basically, I wrote this because a) I was a little miffed that Claremont chose to basically ignore Rogue and Gambit's daughter; b) I had this idea for a villain that just wouldn't go away on its own; and c) I wasn't patient enough to wait for the next comic arc.

**Spoilers: **The first 5 issues of GeNEXT. If you haven't read them, give it a shot. They're pretty good. (I'm just going to ruin the end for you, anyways...)

**Disclaimer: **Marvel owns everyone except Giuseppe, his parents, and Florence. Mangiafuoco and Geppetto are from The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and belong to him; although, I'm fairly certain my Mangiafuoco is more like Disney's Stromboli. I also have no claim to any of the referenced operas. They are as follows: Verdi's "Rigoletto," Mozart's "The Magic Flute," Puccini's "Turandot," and Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci." I do, however, recommend enjoying an opera at least once in life. It's a unique experience.

**GeNEXT: Puppets & Puppeteers**

**Part 1- The Collector**

**The Xavier Institute- Monday Afternoon**

"Are you even listening to me?!"

It took every ounce of focus Olivier could muster not to flinch as Scott Summers' fist slammed down onto the desk in front of him. Out in the hallway, Pavel, Becka, Rico, and No-Name all jumped at the sudden noise from inside Mr. Summers' office.

"I don't care if everything turned out okay at the end," Scott continued to fume, "you had no right to put yourself or your friends in that kind of danger! It was stupid! Make that inconceivably stupid! I expect better from you..."

Oli glanced at the clock on the wall. Only 45 minutes and Cyclops seemed to be winding down. Scarcely two hours before, Oli and the rest of his team had returned to the school after an excursion to retrieve No-Name and a battle with a group thought to be dead.

'I can't believe that girl still won't tell us her name..." Oli mused internally.

"All five of you are on notice." Mr. Summers' sudden calm was more unnerving than any of the shouting. "Another stunt even remotely like this, and I will send each and every one of you home."

"But No-Name-"

"Will be handed over to the proper authorities if she can't show this school that she is serious about remaining here."

"Yes, sir." It was not at all what Oli wanted to say, but it was the response that would get him out of this office.

"One more thing," Oli paused at the door for Scott's parting jab. "You've each been assigned extra Danger Room sessions and some school community service. I'll give you the details later. I'm also pretty sure that your family would appreciate a call."

"So, what's the damage?" Rico cut right to the chase as the small group walked away from the Co-headmaster's office.

"Extra class, extra work, and the administration breathing down our necks for the rest of our natural lives..."

"I'm sorry, you guys," No-Name sighed dejectedly, "but none of this would have happened if you'd just let me go."

"We could not help it," Pavel shrugged. "You are our friend. We worry when you disappear."

"I have never seen Mr. Summers so angry!" Becka noted. "Do you think he might change his mind and expel us?"

"I wouldn't sweat it too much, girl," Rico sounded a lot more confident than he looked. "They're pretty forgiving around here."

Oli glanced back over his shoulder to see a grim-faced Scott Summers watching them. "That may be true, but the forgiving spirit has its limits."

- X - X - X - X - X -

**Valle Soleda: 24-hour Grocery**

**Late That Night**

Many large grocery chains are open twenty-four hours, but almost all of them are virtually empty after midnight. The late night stillness in this particular store was broken by an angry mutter.

"Ooh... I could just smack him!" Bekka Lebeau had spent the majority of the last several hours venting her anger at her brother's behavior.

"So you keep telling me," her father chuckled to himself as he paused to examine a display of bell peppers. Remy's own shock and anger were at least temporarily overshadowed by relief that Olivier had returned to the Xavier Institute more or less unharmed. Besides, nobody but nobody could out-lecture Scott Summers when he was in a mood.

"I mean," Bekka continued unfazed, "not only does he do something totally reckless and stupid, but then he stops by the house and doesn't even drop us a line? Not to mention using up the pancake mix and borrowing clothes! Sure I almost never wear that sundress, but I'd at least like to be asked before someone else wears it..."

"Mm-hmm..." Gambit bagged two peppers and turned his attention to tomatoes.

"He had to know we'd come out here as soon as we heard! Why am I the one who's so angry? I usually take his side!"

"Prob'ly because you're used to him being rather predictable, _chérie_. Suddenly discovering you didn't know him quite as well as you thought is a bit unsettling."

"Hmph."

"Why don't you go scout out the cereal aisle? Remember, no pure sugar condensed into weird but colorful shapes, _d'accord_?"

"Yeah, yeah. Be right back, Poppa."

Gambit steered his cart over to a display of fresh herbs and puzzled over whether he was really going to use enough within the next few days to warrant buying fresh. He heard someone approaching from behind. "Find anything good, Bekka?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Mr. Lebeau."

Before he could turn around, Gambit felt a sharp pain on the side of his neck and a spreading, sickly warmth. The last thing he heard before blackness overwhelmed him was the strange voice again.

"You'll make an excellent addition to my collection."

"I know you're militantly against marshmallows," Bekka called out as she rounded the corner of an aisle, "but how do you feel about yogurt clusters? Poppa?"

The grocery cart still stood by the herb display, a plastic bag with three tomatoes on the ground nearby. Bekka looked frantically around the area but saw no sign of her father anywhere.

"Poppa?!" She fought down the looming panic creeping up on her. Maybe he had just gone around the other end of the aisle nearby. Light glinting of an object on the ground caught her eye. It was a syringe.

- X - X - X - X - X -

**The Xavier Institute: Tuesday Evening**

**Administrative Offices**

Emma Frost frowned as she slipped her communicator back into her pocket. Bobby Drake had gone on a brief vacation and hadn't been heard from recently, even though he was expected back that morning. He wasn't answering his phone or communicator, either. Iceman was known to be a bit of a clown, but he'd always been reliable.

"Scott," she stepped into his office without knocking, "you haven't heard from Robert by any chance?"

Scott had been looking over the school's finances. "No, I haven't. Should we start worrying?"

A raspy buzz interrupted the conversation. Emma frowned again. "Who would be at the front gate this late in the day? I'll go look. Perhaps Mr. Drake forgot his new security code, again."

Scott turned back to his paperwork. "If it is him, I'd like to speak with him."

Emma stepped out again and Scott was left to the number crunching that was really more the specialty of Bobby, a trained accountant. He hit a wrong button on his calculator and cursed as he had to start over. He heard the door open again.

"Was it Bobby at the gate?"

"Ms. Frost and Mr. Drake will be joining my collection. Won't you come as well?"

Scott froze momentarily at the sound of the unexpected, strange voice, and that brief hesitation was his undoing. His desk lamp crashed into the side of his head and he blacked out.

- X - X - X - X - X -

**The Institute Grounds**

GeNEXT had just finished their extra Danger Room for the day and were cooling off in the evening breeze. They ought to be studying for a history exam, but at the moment, it was the last thing on anyone's mind.

"Someone put me out of my misery," Rico groaned. X23 had been extra exacting.

"I did not think it was possible to hurt everywhere at the same time." Pavel massaged his right shoulder.

"I think my aches have aches," Oli agreed.

"You guys are such babies," No-Name rolled her eyes. "You don't hear Becka and me complaining! Right, Becka?"

Becka didn't answer. She was staring off into the tree-line outside the fence. Something or someone was out there. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. "Someone is watching us." The last time she had this feeling it had not ended well.

"I don't see anybody," Rico squinted in the fast dimming light. "Where?"

Everyone scanned the line of security fence. A few dead leaves swirled by and the breeze whispered through the treetops, but nothing else moved.

"Sorry, everyone, I guess I just-" then something caught Becka's eye. There!" Without another word, she rushed over to a shadowy section of fence where a figure had just slipped over the barrier. She dove at the intruder, but the stranger merely sidestepped at the last minute, letting Becka's own momentum bring her to the ground. She immediately sprang back to her feet and took a defensive stance.

"Becka," Oli shouted, "wait!"

"Why?" she asked. The stranger said the same thing simultaneously. Becka took her first good look at her opponent. She could instantly see similarities between Oli and his sister. The hair coloring and jawline were the same, though the other Bekka's face had softer lines.

"What's wrong with using the front gate like a normal person?" Olivier didn't look particularly happy about the surprise visit.

"If I went to the gate, I'd probably have to talk to Mr. Summers first," Bekka retorted, as though it were obvious, "and the only person I really want to talk to is you."

"Did you forget how to use a phone?"

"You're one to talk! Besides this is an emergency! I used my saved allowance money to buy a ticket on the first bus heading this way."

Olivier noticed the bags under his sister's eyes and her worried expression. "What happened?" he asked.

"It's Poppa," tears welled up in Bekka's eyes. "I think something bad happened to him..."

- X - X - X - X - X -

**A Short Summary Later...**

"How do you know he didn't just leave on his own?" Rico asked as he small group heded toward the school offices.

"He wouldn't do that to me," Bekka insisted, "not without leaving some kind of message! And what about the needle? Do we really have to involve Scott and Emma, Oli?"

"I told you," Olivier rolled his eyes, "I'm on probation! If I try to handle this on my own they'll kick me out. Besides, we could probably use some help on this."

His sister snorted. "So it's okay to risk expulsion to chase after someone whose name you don't even know, but you need to ask permission to deal with a family crisis? How screwed up are those priorities? Er, no offense, No-Name..."

"None taken. You have a point."

"If this had come up a week ago, it might be a different story," Oli shrugged, "but it's too soon to provoke Scott again."

"What if he says 'no,'" Becka frowned. "You know there's a lot of bad blood there. Are you going to just forget about it?"

"I am sure they will want to help," Pavel tried to be reassuring.

The door to Mr. Summers' office was closed. Olivier knocked, but there was no answer. He tried the knob and the door swung open slowly. The desk lamp and some scattered papers lay on the floor, but the room was empty.

"Something very weird is going on here," Rico observed.

- X - X - X - X - X -

**Danger Room Control**

After discovering that Ms. Frost was also suspiciously missing, the students were very relieved to find that Dr. Henry McCoy was still at the school. They were all gathered in the Danger Room's control room, reviewing the school security camera tapes.

"Fascinating," Hank noted the time stamp just before the front gate camera suddenly went to static. "It appears that our unknown adversary was equipped with some kind of jamming device."

A few moments later, the main entrance camera went out, then the administrative hall, and then each came back up in reverse order.

"Do you think it might be the same person that took our dad?" Oli wondered aloud.

"Well, I most certainly hope we're only looking for one perpetrator."

"What does it matter?" Becka fumed. "We don't have any clues! We have no idea who we're looking for, or where to start!"

"Not necessarily so, Miss Lebeau," Hank scratched his chin. "Didn't you mention that you had brought the syringe with you? May I see it?"

Bekka pulled a sandwich bag from the pocket of a small bag she had brought with her. The tip of the needle had been stuck into a pencil eraser. "It's just an ordinary syringe, Uncle Hank. I dusted it with talc and I didn't see any prints."

"The drug itself may provide us with a clue. I will analyze it promptly, but that is not all we have. We know that this person relies upon the element of surprise. We know he does not wish to be seen." He paused to rewind the front gate tape to the point just before it went out. "Last, but not least," he added as the front of a vehicle pulled into the edge of the camera range, "we know our foe is driving Mr. Drake's car."

"So this guy probably has him, too?" No-Name exclaimed. "We'd better check and see if anyone else is missing!"

After a quick search of the premises and a few calls, the list of the missing remained at four: Robert Drake, Emma Frost, Scott Summers, and Remy Lebeau. Hank also had the final analysis of the drug in the syringe for them.

"It's a special, homemade concoction of some kind. It would appear from my analyses that the drug is designed to suppress the nervous system of someone with an enhanced metabolism."

"So he knew Poppa was a mutant, too," Bekka reasoned. "I guess that makes sense, since he took people from Xavier's and it's pretty well known to be a mutant haven. How did he know where to look for him, though? How did he know about the school's security?"

"I think I can answer that." Rico had been checking through the school computers while the others had made their search of the school. "Someone has been hacking into the school's computer system for a few weeks, now. They covered their tracks pretty well, but now that I'm looking for it, I can see everything they did. Anything anybody could ever want to know about the school and everybody here is in the files somewhere, you just have to know where to look and have a little patience."

"Back to square one," Oli sighed. "He knows all about us, but we still don't know anything about him, or what he wants."

"I think we should all get some rest," Hank stated firmly. "We'll take a fresh look at everything in the morning. There's nothing more we can do tonight."

Reluctantly, everyone headed toward the dormitories.

"You can stay with No-Name and I, Bekka," Becka offered. "That sounds so odd... Using my own name for someone else, I mean."

"We need some way to distinguish the two of you," No-Name agreed. "I don't suppose either of you has a nickname?"

"You can call me 'B' if you want," Bekka suggested.

"Okay, then, B," Becka smiled, "you can have my bed. I'm more comfortable on the floor anyway."


	2. Part 2 Mangiafuoco

**Spoilers:** The first 5 issues of GeNEXT. If you haven't read them, give it a shot. They're pretty good. (I'm just going to ruin the end for you, anyways...)

**Disclaimer:** Marvel owns everyone except Giuseppe, his parents, and Florence. Mangiafuoco and Geppetto are from The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and belong to him; although, I'm fairly certain my Mangiafuoco is more like Disney's Stromboli. I also have no claim to any of the referenced operas. They are as follows: Verdi's "Rigoletto," Mozart's "The Magic Flute," Puccini's "Turandot," and Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci." I do, however, recommend enjoying an opera at least once in life. It's a unique experience.

**Part 2- Mangiafuoco**

**A Long Time Ago in Italy**

Giuseppe Marcoli was born in a small Italian town. His mother died while he was young, leaving he and his father alone. She had named him after Verdi, her favorite operatic composer. Giuseppe's father was a toy maker, and one of his favorite things to make was marionettes. He taught his son the art, and Giuseppe fell in love with the world of puppetry.

His infatuation led to a school nickname of Gepetto, but he did not mind. In fact, he aspired to do that which the man in the children's story had done. Someday, he was going to create a puppet so fantastic and detailed that no one would be able to tell it from a real person.

Throughout his childhood he perfected movement systems and designs that deeply impressed his father.

"Your puppets are wonderful, Giuseppe!" He watched as his son changed the facial expression of one of his creations. "You are truly an artist. One could almost believe that they are alive!"

"No," Giuseppe disagreed, "you can still tell they are only puppets. Someday, father, I will perfect it, but not yet."

Giuseppe's skill also ran to theater, and he was a great fan of the opera. He was accepted into an exclusive academy for the arts, and with the help of scholarships was able to attend. There he met the second love of his life, a girl named Florence. She wanted more than anything to be a great actress in films. She hung posters of her favorite movie stars in her room. She saw Giuseppe as a dear friend, but he always hoped that one day, it would be more.

The night of their graduation from the academy, Florence came to see him in the small workshop where he continued to design his puppets.

"Oh, Giuseppe," she laughed, "still obsessed with those toys? You could be such a great actor, you know. It would be easy for you to get a leading role."

"Why settle for only one part of the whole, Florence? That is the magic of puppets! I can be the whole cast of the production with my marionettes. I am the director and the crew as well. I control every last detail for a production that can be just as I envision it in my mind! Don't you see?"

"Who will watch them, Giuseppe? Children? A small crowd of the curious or nostalgic? The world of entertainment belongs to film now. People crave the reality they can see on the screen."

"So then," Giuseppe sighed, setting aside the brush and paint he had been using the finish the face of one of his puppets, "you still plan to go away to Hollywood?"

"It's all settled, Giuseppe! I have an agent already, and an audition next week. Why can't you be happy for me? I'm so close to my dream."

He was angry that she was leaving, that she thought his marionettes were silly, but most angry at himself for not being able to tell her his true feelings. He should wish her luck.

"You are chasing an illusion." He was surprised at the coldness in his voice. "Do you know how very few actually become stars? Even then, they will only love you as long as your beauty lasts, or until the next young beauty comes along."

He did not turn around the look at her. He knew she would be crying. She probably hated him, now.

"Goodbye then," she said softly. Then he heard the door close as she left. He wanted to run after her, to apologize, to confess his undying love. Instead he stared around him at the puppets he had created. So much of his life had been dedicated to perfecting each one. Was she right? Had he spent so much in vain?

"No," he stated aloud. "She is wrong! My shows will be the most amazing spectacle people have seen in years! They will be drawn back to the older, simpler days, and a true appreciation of art!" Then, Florence would return to him, and all would be well.

He put on a record of Verdi, and picked up the brush and paint.

The next morning he packed up and returned home to his father's village for a while. He still had not decided where he wanted to start his puppet theater. He had only been home a few weeks when his world fell apart.

"Giuseppe," his father looked up from his newspaper with a concerned expression, "what was the name of the young lady you wrote to me about? The one from school?"

"Why, father? What is in that paper?" He rushed over to look. A promising young actress had been killed in a car accident in Hollywood. It was Florence. His Florence! She was gone and he would never see her lovely face again...

He locked himself up in the small shed he now used for his workshop. He worked feverishly on a life-sized puppet. Everything must be just so. He scarcely ate or drank or moved from the stool at the workbench.

Days passed, but finally his father could contain his worry no more.

"Giuseppe? Open this door! Please? I am worried about you. Come back into the house. We can talk-"

The door opened to reveal a very disheveled Giuseppe. His father looked past him to see an intricately crafted puppet. There was no head on the body, that still lay on the workbench, paint still wet. It looked exactly like the photo of Florence from the paper.

"Oh, my son," his father embraced him, "is this what you have been making? Surely you must realize that this puppet can never replace the woman that was lost?"

"I know, father. It is only a puppet, and a puppet can never be a real person. Go back into the house. I will join you soon."

"Yes. I will make some coffee and breakfast."

Giuseppe turned back to the workbench in the shed. "No, a puppet cannot be a real person, but perhaps people can be made to be puppets." He was no longer merely the puppet maker, Gepetto. Now, he would be the puppet master.

- X - X - X - X - X -

**A Holding Cell, Somewhere**

**Present Day**

Scott Summers groaned as he regained consciousness.

"Scott?" That was Emma's voice... "Can you hear me?"

"What happened?"

"We've all been kidnapped by a psycho. You know, same old, same old." Apparently Bobby was here, too.

Scott opened his eyes and winced. There was a lump the size of a golf-ball on the left side of his head. His hand were held together, wrist to wrist, by a manacle connect to the wall by a chain. Then he noticed something interesting. The world wasn't red tinted. Then he felt the collar. He glanced over at Emma. She too was chained to the wall, also wearing a collar.

"These collars aren't Genoshan," Scott noted.

"Seem to work just as well." There was a fourth person in the room.

"Hello, Gambit. It's been a long time."

"You can call me by my name, Scott."

The former X-man was restrained differently from the rest of them. He was in a device that resembled a portable stocks. Probably to keep him from escaping, Scott reasoned. Everyone had a collar.

"Speaking of names," Scott continued inspecting their prison, "whoever took us knew ours."

"I have no idea who this guy is, Scott, but he's sure prepared." Bobby fingered the collar at his throat. "These don't come off easy. We've been trying."

"Has anyone actually seen our captor?"

"Yeah," Gambit's words seemed a little slurred and he seemed to have trouble focusing, "when he brought you all here. Big guy, black beard."

"He brought me in second," Bobby explained. "Caught me at a gas station on the way back from my vacation. You probably figured out that he took you and Emma at the same time."

"Are you okay, G- Remy?" Scott inquired, as politely as he could make himself.

"He keeps me a little drugged. Extra precaution, I figure."

"So, what's the plan, Cyke?" Bobby looked at Scott with a confidence that made him apprehensive. He hated being everybody's rock. It made it that much worse if you let them down. The truth was, as it had often been in the past, that Scott had no idea what they should do. However, he felt compelled to answer.

"Do we have any idea when he might come in here again?"

"Well," Remy closed his eyes for a moment, "he'll need to re-dose me soon, but I can't give you a precise time."

"Will he be alone when he enters?"

"Yeah," Bobby affirmed, "but he's got us positioned so that only one of us could reach him at a time, and we can't reach each other."

"If one of us could knock him backward toward another, we might be able to overpower him."

"Then what?" Remy asked. "None of us is in a position to both restrain him and try to free ourself or anyone else."

"I think," Emma broke in, contributing to the conversation for the first time, "that our major concern ought to be what he plans to do with us. He hasn't brought us any food or water, so I don't think imprisonment is his primary goal."

As she was speaking, the door to their cell opened. "She is quite right," their captor rumbled in a voice now familiar to them all. "I do not wish to simply keep you chained in a dark room. You will all join Mangiafuoco's collection, and then you needn't worry about anything further." In his hands he held a porcelain mask, delicately painted on the front and lined with wires and circuitry in back. "I have a performance planned for you all, and we must prepare."

He began to walk over to Remy, arms outstretched, holding the back of the mask toward his captive's face. Remy shrank back from the mask, curling up in the corner of the room. Scott smiled. Gambit appeared to be cowering, but was in fact preparing to launch him self at his captor. He aimed low, slamming into their captors lower legs, sending him sprawling. The mask flew out of his hand, landing with a clink in the center of the room. With an angry roar, the bearded man sprang back to his feet, stunning Remy with a powerful, backhanded slap. He picked up the mask with great concern and examined it carefully. There was now a hairline crack from the left eye hole downward, but it remained intact.

"That was very unwise," he scowled, "and very futile." He placed the mask on Remy's face before he had time to fully recover from the blow. Gambit let out a strangled cry and his entire body spasmed and then he lay very still.

"Now, rise, Sparafucile, and come with me."

He unlocked Gambit's restraints and held one hand, palm down, over his still form. Next, he slowly lifted the hand upward, and Remy awkwardly rose to his feet. The bearded man made a few other gestures which were responded to in a similar, jerky fashion. He frowned.

"Stop resisting. It will only cause you pain. I have a few tasks for you while I prepare the rest of our troupe." He walked out of the cell, Remy a few steps behind.

"Did you see that?" Bobby had gone pale. "He's going to turn us all into puppets!"

"Stay calm," Scott advised. "With any luck, everyone at Xavier's will have figured out that something is wrong. They'll be looking for us."

"So, our fate is in the hands of a few retired X-men and a bunch of teenage mutants?" Bobby gave a forced, and slightly hysterical, laugh. "Yeah, no sweat."

"Sparafucile," Emma mused aloud. "Why is that name so familiar?" She considered it for a moment longer, and her eyes widened.

"What is it, Emma?"

"Sparafucile is the assassin from Verdi's 'Rigoletto.' I have a bad feeling about what Stromboli has in store..."

- X - X - X - X - X -

Oli, Rico, and Pavel were all eating breakfast in the cafeteria when the three girls entered, looked at them, and giggled.

"Great," Rico rolled his eyes, "you know that's trouble! They probably spent all night swapping stories."

Oli, however, was not listening. He was distracted by another potential source of trouble.

"Oh, Oli, isn't it terrible?" Megan sat down next to Oli, rather closer than he would have liked, especially after the kiss her astral self had given him. "I barely slept at all last night after Dr. McCoy told me what had happened! Do we have any kind of plan, yet?"

"Um, no," Oli tried to scoot away, eyeing the approaching Becka the whole time, but Pavel wasn't budging, "I actually haven't spoken to Dr. McCoy, yet."

"Oh. Good morning, Megan." Oli's sister said the name like it tasted bad.

Megan sighed and rolled her eyes. "Good morning, Bekka, Becka, and, er, No-Name, isn't it?"

"Be nice, Bekka," Oli chastened. "Remember, both her parents were taken, too."

"Doesn't mean I have to like her," Bekka muttered under her breath.

"Has anybody talked to Dr. McCoy this morning?" No-Name attempted to break the tension. She was answered by a chorus of no's and head shaking.

"I do not no about anyone else," Pavel mused, "but I am just as confused this morning as I was yesterday. Where can we go from here?"

"All we need is a clue." Bekka appeared to have regained some confidence. "Something's going to turn up, I'm sure of it!"

As she was speaking, Hank peeked into the cafeteria and looked around briefly before spotting the group he was looking for. He hurried over to them, and they all noticed both his concerned expression and the envelope in his hand.

"The front gate camera went out again for a short time during the night," he got right to the point. "I found this slipped under the front door early this morning."

They all stared at the proffered envelope. Finally, Oli took it with only very slightly shaking hands. He glanced quickly over the card inside, his expression darkening as he read.

"What is it?" his sister was beginning to panic. "What does it say?"

"'Mangiafuoco and his Marvelous Marionettes invite you to join them for a night at the opera.' Then it lists an address and a time."

"If I'm not mistaken," Hank added, "the address provided is a building that used to be a community theater complex. It went out of business a few years ago."

"It sounds like a trap," Becka voiced what they were all thinking.

"We're still going, right?" Bekka looked at each person in turn, taking in their stunned and, in some cases, angry expressions. "Right?"

"If we want to get to the bottom of this and get everybody back," Oli stated resolutely, "I don't think we have any choice."

"I'm in," Rico affirmed. Becka, Pavel, No-Name, and Megan all asserted their intentions to proceed as well.

"I suppose that if we're going to make this an official undertaking, I shall have to go along as well," Dr. McCoy agreed, after giving the situation careful thought. "I think I shall go see if any of the other instructors would care to join us." With that remark he bounded from the room. "Meet up in the Danger Room in thirty minutes!" he called back over his shoulder.

- X - X - X - X - X -

**Danger Room**

"We know that our opponent is expecting us." Hank was addressing the entire group that had volunteered to go after the missing team members. X23 had been added to the current group of the GeNEXT team, Becka, and Megan. Cecilia had decided that somebody had to stay and keep the school in a state of semi-sanity. "So," Dr. McCoy continued, "the first question is: are we going to wait until the appointed time, or shall we try and get the drop on Stromboli?"

"I don't like to give any extra advantage to my opponents," X23 admitted, "but the time on the invitation is not very far off and we still need to come up with a strategy."

"Ah yes, that would be question number two: will be approaching this as a single, large group, or will we split into teams?"

"I don't like the idea of splitting up when facing a new opponent. Oli, Becka, Pavel, Rico, and No-Name have proven to me that they can function together as a team." X23 looked over the three remaining teenagers. "Megan's telepathy might come in handy, but I have little knowledge of her control or range. Bekka is a completely unknown quantity to me, so I can't say whether she might be a help or a hindrance."

"If you don't bring me, I'd just follow on my own," Bekka declared defiantly.

"Believe me," Oli agreed reluctantly, "she means it. My sister has dreamed of doing this kind of thing her entire life. I'm sure we can count on her." Bekka favored her brother with a beaming smile.

Hank glanced at his watch and sighed. "Right then, on to planning." They had only a few hours to prepare for whatever this "Mangiafuoco" had in store.


	3. Part 3 A Night at the Opera

**Spoilers:** The first 5 issues of GeNEXT. If you haven't read them, give it a shot. They're pretty good. (I'm just going to ruin the end for you, anyways...)

**Disclaimer:** Marvel owns everyone except Giuseppe, his parents, and Florence. Mangiafuoco and Geppetto are from The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and belong to him; although, I'm fairly certain my Mangiafuoco is more like Disney's Stromboli. I also have no claim to any of the referenced operas. They are as follows: Verdi's "Rigoletto," Mozart's "The Magic Flute," Puccini's "Turandot," and Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci." I do, however, recommend enjoying an opera at least once in life. It's a unique experience.

**Part 3- A Night at the Opera**

**Outskirts of New York City**

**Abandoned Theater Complex**

The rescue team stared at the building they were about to enter. Taggers had spray-painted gang signs, obscenities, and even some art on most of the brickwork. The windows were all boarded over and the parking lot was littered with garbage: broken bottles, old newspapers, and fast food wrappers. One almost wouldn't have been able to tell the building was in use at all, but for a sign taped to the door reading: ENTER HERE.

"Wow," Rico observed, "this is totally like being in an episode of Scooby-Doo."

"It that case, come on, gang, let's get to it." It wasn't much of a Freddy impression, but it was the best Oli could manage."

"Jinkies," Bekka added with a grin.

"Zoinks," Hank returned the smile.

They all moved cautiously forward. The entrance was a pair of double doors with push bars. X23 kicked the right side open and everyone jumped back, prepared for any booby traps. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, so they all filed into the narrow hallway beyond the doors.

"Hey," No-Name gestured at the ceiling, "look at that!" A series of steel lined cracks in the ceiling ran along the hall and branched off into each of the rooms beyond. "What do you think their purpose is?"

A humming whir started up and the all saw a figure approach them from the other end of the hall. As it drew closer they could see that it was a life-sized marionette of a woman that appeared to be operated by strings that disappeared up into the cracks in the ceiling.

"Good evening," the puppet's mouth moved, but the voice itself came from speakers mounted on the walls, "I am Florence, and I shall be your guide this evening." The puppet woman gestured down the hall. "Please follow me to the first performance, 'Turandot.'" The puppet swiveled and headed off down the hallway.

"I think we are meant to follow."

"You're right, Pavel," Oli agreed. "I'm not all that familiar with opera; what or who is Turandot?"

"Turandot," Hank explained as they continued down the hall, "is the title character of a Puccini opera. She is a Chinese princess who vows never to marry because one of her ancestresses was brutally killed by invaders. She devises three riddles for all of her suitors, and if they cannot solve them, they are killed."

"That's pretty violent," Rico raised his eyebrows.

"Opera used to be the height of entertainment, Rico. They have everything: sex, violence, love, hate, adventure, comedy..."

"So," X23 mused aloud, "we can expect an angry, violent woman; but, after that, we should be ready for anything."

No-Name was watching the figure in front of them as it turned to enter a theater on the left. "Do you think we'll be fighting puppets?"

The theater they entered was completely empty except for Florence. All of the seating had been removed, leaving a large open area. The curtains on the stage were closed. Florence held up a hand to halt them. "Please," the strange voice came from the speakers again, "choose three members of your party to face Turandot. They can receive no help from the others."

"This is a test," Becka realized. "Since Hank is familiar with this opera, I think he should be one of the three."

"Your confidence flatters me," Hank smiled, "but I'm not certain I remember the answers to all three riddles."

"I'll go with you, Hank," Megan volunteered. "Maybe my telepathy can help your memory."

"I'm not too keen on the idea of a man-hating psycho," Rico grudgingly stepped forward, "but I can shield you guys if we need it."

"No," Pavel placed a hand on his shoulder, "we may have greater need of your shields later. I will go this time. I like riddles, maybe I can be of use."

As the chosen three stepped forward, partitions of plexiglass lowered from the ceiling, separating the rest of the group from the main area of the room. They watched as the curtain opened to reveal a woman in beautiful Chinese robes. A black wig covered her hair and a painted porcelain mask covered her face. In each hand she held a fan with tiny, razor-sharp blades along the edges. No one could see any strings. Then she spoke, and everyone gasped as they recognized the voice from behind the mask: it was Ms. Frost!

"Who will answer the first riddle?" The tone was hollow and monotone.

"Mother? What are you doing?" Megan took a step forward then halted as Turandot, for she had now realized it was not truly her mother, pointed a fan at her.

"Very well, child. What is born each night and dies each dawn?"

Megan looked over to Hank, and focused a mental probe. Eager to help, Hank had the answer ready at the front of his mind. "Hope," Megan answered.

"Correct," Turandot bowed her head in acknowledgement. "Next?"

Hank began to step forward, but Pavel spoke first. "The third riddle will probably be the most difficult. Let me try this one."

The blank gaze of the mask and the pointing fan shifted to Pavel. "What flickers red and warm like a flame, yet is not fire?"

Pavel considered for a moment. Then he remembered Rico's comment about violence and an idea sprang to mind. "Blood."

Hank sighed in relief when Turandot bowed her head. Then it was his turn, and he confidently awaited his riddle. The third answer was the one he remembered best.

"What is like ice, but burns?"

"Turandot." The curtains closed again abruptly and the group reunited as Florence led them onward.

"The second performance is 'Pagliacci,'" she informed them.

"It's the mask," Megan explained to the others. "The mask was controlling her somehow, but I don't think we can simply remove it. The connection is both physical and psychic. A sudden disruption could hurt or even kill her!"

"So, we can expect Pagliacci to be Mr. Summers, Mr. Drake, or my dad," Oli brought the conversation back to the next challenge. "That one's about a clown, right?"

"Not exactly," Hank tried to think of a quick summary. "'Pagliacci' is a play within a play. An actor suspects his wife of cheating on him as the acting troupe puts on a play about a cheating wife."

"That sounds confusing," Bekka admitted.

"Canio, the man playing Pagliacci in the play, discovers who his wife's lover is during the play and he stabs them both. The audience thinks it is all part of the play until Canio tells them that the play is over."

"If Canio kills them, how are we supposed to get through this challenge?" No-name wondered. "I don't want to have to hurt any of the captives, but I don't want to be stabbed, either!"

They entered a second theater, and Florence again asked for three people. "Three who have not yet been challenged," she added.

"I will go this time," X23 asserted, "My healing factor should protect me if knives are involved."

"I guess I should use my shields now?" Rico waited for any objections.

"I'll go, too," Oli decided. "If I have to I can borrow a little from X23 or Rico."

The separating walls lowered again, and the curtains opened to reveal another figure in a painted mask, a knife held in his right hand.

"Nedda!" he lunged at X23, slashing wildly. She deftly backed away, dodging the slashing sweeps of the knife. "Tell me his name, Nedda!" The voice was easily identifiable as Mr. Drake.

"What is he talking about?" Rico turned to Oli with a very confused expression.

"He must be Canio," Oli reasoned, "and he is seeing X23 as his cheating wife. He wants to know the name of her lover. Hank never told us the names of the other characters!"

"I have an idea," Rico declared. "If he thinks X23 is another character in the opera, maybe he thinks we are, too. Maybe one of us is the guy!"

"Hey, Canio," Oli called out, "what makes you think your wife is unfaithful?"

"What do you mean, Tonio? Was it not you who warned me in the tavern of Nedda's indiscretion?" Canio turned away from X23 momentarily, allowing her to sneak out of the corner in which she had been penned,

"Okay," Oli shrugged at Rico, "it's not me!"

Rico swallowed nervously before calling out to the angry, knife-wielding man. "Hey, Canio! What about me?"

"Silvio? You are one of the villagers. I saw you at the tavern." He turned away, but then paused. "You left before the rest of us. It was well before Tonio came to fetch me... It is you!"

X23 grabbed the wrist of his upraised arm from behind and twisted, causing him to drop the knife he had been holding. She then tossed him up onto the stage and the curtain closed.

"The next performance is 'The Magic Flute.'" Florence led them onward.

"You guys," Bekka voiced a concern as they left the second theater, "there are still two missing people, but only three of us that haven't faced a challenge."

"Perhaps we have only to face one more challenge before we meet Mangiafuoco himself. He might be saving one of his captives to serve as a bodyguard," Hank postulated. "Before anyone asks," he continued, "Mozart's 'Magic Flute' has a very abstract story line. In keeping with the nature of our experience here so far, I imagine we will be faced with Sarastro. He is the head priest of a sun cult who subjects several other characters to a series of trials."

"What sort of trials?" Becka asked.

"Silence, fire and water."

Upon entering the third theater it was apparent that this was going to be slightly different. The floor had been dug out and filled with water that was kept in a choppy state through use of a wave machine. A narrow path above the water twisted and turned toward the stage. Small spigots along the path belched flame at seemingly random intervals. The three remaining girls stepped forward and the dividing walls again descended. The curtain opened, revealing a third masked figure.

"That's Mr. Summers," Bekka stated firmly. "I know my father and that's not him."

"From the moment you step onto the path, you must remain silent," Sarastro intoned solemnly. "If you can all reach this stage you will be deemed worthy to proceed."

"We should go one at a time," No-Name decided. "That path is pretty narrow."

"If we go separately," Becka argued, "we won't be able to help each other if we need it. What do you think, B?" Bekka was watching the flames intently and counting under her breath. "B?"

"There's a pattern. Let me go first. I'll count off the timing for you on my fingers as I go."

Without waiting for a response the younger girl stepped forward onto the path. True to her word, she stopped at each spigot and counted of the seconds between firing, slowly working her way to the stage. Becka and No-Name looked at each other.

"Together?" Becka asked.

"Sure. The sooner we get this over with, the better!" They linked hands and worked their way along the path. Each let out a sigh of relief as they stepped off of the path and onto the stage.

"Please follow at your leisure," Sarastro told them, bowed, and disappeared through a door off of stage right. The fire spigots shut off and the rest of the group hurried across the pool to the stage.

"I don't get it," Oli mused. "I don't think Mangiafuoco was trying to hurt any of us. He could have made his tasks a lot more dangerous. It's more like he was testing us this whole time. Why?"

"We may be about to find out," Hank tilted his head toward the door. "Is everybody ready?"

Everyone nodded their agreement, except Bekka, who bit her lip and looked torn.

"Come on, Bekka," her brother placed his hands on her shoulders, "we've already made it this far. What's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Oli. I'm afraid to see what this guy has done to Poppa. He won't even recognize us and we may have to fight him. I'm not sure I can do that."

"We'll all be there with you," Becka encouraged. "Have a little faith that everything will turn out all right in the end."

Bekka took a deep breath, nodded, and they all walked through the door. No one had any idea what to expect. The room they entered was not very large, but the man standing on the other side of the space was. A full, black beard covered the lower half of his face, but his head was bald. Standing next to him were the three they had already faced and a fourth figure, all in black. They knew it must be Mr. Lebeau, but his character was not apparent. Florence entered the room through another door and hung limply in a corner.

"My dear, sweet Florence. You have done well." Mangiafuoco cupped the puppet's face and smiled tenderly. Then he turned to his guests. "Welcome, friends. I am impressed by your fortitude, cunning, and knowledge of the opera."

"Give us back the people you stole!" Bekka glared at the man, but he only laughed.

"Why should I return them to lives of pain and loss? Here they feel nothing. Every movement, every thought, is predetermined. No more must they struggle to achieve dreams that ever evade them, or live with guilt they can never escape! You all are welcome to join me as well. Opera provides an infinite pool of characters to choose from..."

"This guy is totally delusional," Rico sneered.

Mangiafuoco scowled. "I feared you might refuse. I cannot allow you to interfere with my plans. You must all either submit or be killed. You have not yet faced my masterpiece," he gestured to the man in black. "Never before have I found a person who responded so smoothly and quickly to my commands. His grace and speed are most useful."

"He's talking about dad's enhanced agility," Oli realized. "This could be bad."

"Sparafucile, please show our guests your skills." Mangiafuoco gave a flick of his wrist.

Several throwing knives appeared in each of Sparafucile's hands like magic. Effortlessly, he pinned Rico to one of the walls and turned toward the others. Hank, Megan and X23 each took a step back, only to be cut off from the others by another dividing wall. With a low hiss, a smoky gas filled the chamber and all three fell unconscious. Rico quickly pulled up a shielding bubble around the rest of the group. Sparafucile circled them, watching closely for any opening.

"Don't disappoint me, Sparafucile," Mangiafuoco seemed angry. "I did not tell you to miss."

"Let me out, Rico," Bekka said as she pulled one of the knives out of Rico's right sleeve. "We can't hide in here the whole time. We have to take down Mangiafuoco. He's the one in control."

"Are you nuts?" Rico gaped. "That guy'll kill you!"

"He only seems to be able to command one of his puppets at a time," Oli watched as the rest of Mangiafuoco's puppets stayed perfectly still. "If we all work together I think we can take him down."

"Can you get me off of this wall, first?"

"Why didn't he hurt you?" No-Name wondered. "He could have just as easily hit you with those knives, instead of just immobilizing you, and it sounds like Stroboli wanted him to hurt you."

Becka had been watching their circling foe. "His mask is cracked. Maybe Mangiafuoco doesn't have complete control?"

"Okay," Oli decided to give it a shot, "here's what we're going to do. No-Name, get Rico down and watch for any surprises. Pavel, see if you can break that wall around the others. Becka and I will distract my dad, and hopefully Mangiafuoco as well. Bekka, er, B, do you think you can get over to Mangiafuoco and figure out how he's controlling his puppets? Don't attack him, though, just get a good look and come right back here."

Rico opened a gap in the shield just large enough for the three to slip out. Sparacfucile was on them in an instant, dropping low and sweeping Becka's feet out from under her. Oli took a swing at he figure in black, which he easily dodged. Then Oli froze at the sound of an angry yell.

They had been wrong, Mangiafuoco could control more than one puppet at a time, just not as skillfully. Sarastro had come up behind Becka and was holding her in a half-nelson. The yell, however, had not come from Becka. Mangiafuoco stood, one arm holding his sister's arms to her sides, and the other hand covering her mouth. The moment of distraction allowed Sparafucile to grab Oli and hold his hands behind his back.

"Canio, finish him!" At Mangiafuoco's urging, Canio approached Oli with a knife in hand. Oli tensed and felt Sparafucile tense behind him. The puppet spun, pulling Oli out of the knife's path and bringing his elbow up into Canio's face with a crunch. He took a slice on the arm in the process. Both puppets fell to the ground and Oli dashed back towards Rico.

"Rico, I need to borrow your powers!" Oli knew that Mangiafuoco still held his sister and he needed leverage. He had only seen Stroboli show any kind of personal interest in one thing: Florence. He pulled a knife from the wall and touched Rico just long enough to borrow a little of his stretchability. His arm stretched out ward and arced over the top of Florence, cutting all her strings.

"Florence! NO!!" Mangiafuoco cried in anguish and the marionette crumpled to the ground. He grip loosened enough for Bekka to break free. She spun and buried the dagger she still held in Mangiafuoco's chest. There was no blood, only a few sparks and some smoke. Mangiafuoco's face went slack and he fell to the ground in a heap, as did all the puppets still standing. The masks all released from their faces with a clicking sound. Rico found a small remote on Mangiafuoco that he used to raise the dividing wall around Hank, Megan, and X23.

"How did you know he wasn't real?" Oli asked his sister.

"His hand was cold and hard," Bekka shuddered at the memory, "and he wasn't breathing."

The captives began to stir. Remy sat up, holding a hand to the small gash in his arm. Bekka ran over and tackled him back to the ground, sobbing and hugging him tightly. Scott and Emma embraced before hurrying over to check on Megan. Bobby held a hand to his face.

"Geez, Gambit, I think you broke my nose!" Hank shook the cobwebs out of his head and hurried over to take a look.

"Sorry," Remy wheezed through Bekka's current bear hug. He looked over to Oli and the others. "Thank you. All of you."

Oli started to say something, then turned away. "Olivier Raven," his sister's voice was muffled, as her face was still in her father's shirt, but it still brooked no opposition, "get your butt over here and join this hug!"

"Go," Becka smiled at him.

After all the reunions were finished. Scott cleared his throat. "While I can never express how grateful I am that you rescued us," he started and the students all groaned, "it was a dangerous thing as well."

"Are we expelled?" No-Name asked, a little fearfully.

"I didn't say that," Mr Summers smiled. "I'm not happy about it, but it looks like you did everything I got after you about last time. You had a plan and you spoke to a teacher about it and got permission. I can't really punish you for listening to me, now can I?"

"Let's get out of here!" Rico declared and everyone agreed.

After they had all gone, a secret door in the wall opened and a frail old man entered. He scooped up Florence and sighed.

"Someday, my darling. Someday, I will be the puppet master." He left the same way he had come.

THE END


End file.
